


Old Habits Die Hard

by Iamfandomtrash162



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Complicated Relationships, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Please Don't Hate Me, Slow Burn, catradora
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-08-28 08:07:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16719582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iamfandomtrash162/pseuds/Iamfandomtrash162
Summary: Adora is a detective at Bright Moon Intelligence, working all year to be able to leave her past behind and prove herself. But when the past creeps back into her life everything is thrown into chaos, Adora having to juggle the split life of working with her once friend and the agency all to solve the mystery of the drug Grayskull.Action/Romance





	1. The Alleyway

**Author's Note:**

> OKay, after watching the reboot of She-Ra I just had to have a crack at writing. This is my first fic of this fandom and ahhh so excited. please ignore the crappy grammar and overall bad writing as this hasn't been beta read. it's been "me" read and that's never a good op. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The smell of thick black coffee hung in the air as Adora sat at her desk. She tapped her fingers along the wood, her leg jittering. 24 hours had passed since their recent infiltration of the gang that goes by the name  _ The Horde. _ Adora has been on this case ever since she joined the force. First as an apprentice to now head of the squadron. It was a simple intel recon gone wrong. And it was her fault.

“Detective She-Ra.”

“Yes?” Adora popped her head up hesitantly from her laptop, the captain dressed in her formal uniform peering out of her office.

“A word.”

Adora took in a breath, her glances scattering to her teammates next to her, Bow and Glimmer giving small smiles as she walked towards the captain’s office. 

 

To say the captain was intimidating was an understatement. She had been working for Bright Moon Intelligence for as long as the corporation has been running. She and her husband had built it from nothing, Bright Moon now being the top agency in the country. So for her to walk through the glass door made her stomach drop. The office was massive. Towering bookshelves enclosed around her, a huge wooden desk wrapped around a figure by the desk. Angella. 

“Take a seat,” Angella spoke, her voice firm yet inviting.

Adora’s feet sent her towards the white lounge that was placed in front of the captain’s desk. She curling the loose strands of her blond hair behind her ear, not sure what else to do with her hands. 

“The mission last night,” Angella started, “Care to explain what happened?”

“I know I made a mistake.”

“I mistake? You went against my word, ignored the mission outline and almost got yourself killed!”

“She was there!” Adora snapped back. “We have been tracking down this assassin for years! I wasn’t going to give up the chance of taking her down.”

“You Pride will be the end of you Detective She-Ra,” Angella commented unwaveringly.

“And let me remind you if it wasn’t for my daughter’s word you won’t even be in this institution.”

Adora hung her head low as her words faded. 

“Next time follow the instructions given. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.”

 

Adora left the office with a mix of emotions swirling around her head. The failure of the mission hung heavy on her shoulders and she hated it. The only thing she could do is train. Both Bow and Glimmer saw her beeline straight for the training deck, following soon after. Training had been something she had done all her life. It was an escape from reality. Your focus solely on the task at hand. Block, dodge, punch, kick. Since joining Bright Moon she had to learn to adjust to the weapons and techniques the agency uses. That includes the lack of knives. It wasn’t popular, unlike her old job. She soon had to learn how to wield a gun, Adora spending hours on end practising shooting, her aim improving exponentially as Glimmer would say. Glimmer and Bow were the first two people she grew close with before joining. Let’s just say her old job didn't exactly follow the letter of the law. At all. So in the midst of being arrested, she had saved the two from a raged man with a knife, a man that had worked for  _ The Horde _ . From there, she vowed to leave her job, Adora was done being some pack animal that was forced to do whatever was asked of her. Even kill.

“Adora?” Glimmer voice filled the room, her small figure making her way over as Adora began to wrap her hands in bondage.

“Hey.”

“What did my mum say?” Glimmer asked, taking a seat next to her.

“Oh, nothing. Just the ‘You wouldn’t be here if it was up to me’ pep talk,” Adora scoffed, a heavy sigh leaving Glimmer’s lips.

“She will warm up to you. One day,” Glimmer smiled faintly.

“It’s been a year since I joined. Haven’t I proved myself enough?”

Adora stood up and walked to the nearest hanging punching bag and started to work. The pound of skin in leather rang around the room, Glimmer sighing as she met at her side.

“Do you want to talk it out?”

“No.” Adora puffed as she threw a kick to the side, the contact sending pain through her leg but she ignored it.

“Okay,” Glimmer sighed, Adora, noticing her fleeting presence as she continued to take all her frustrations out the sandbag.

 

Five hours she spent in the training room. Five hours of focussed core, strength and power training mixed with some target practice. It was only when the natural light began to fade did she realise how long she was in there, her muscles aching as soon as she left through the doors of the building. She couldn’t be bothered to shower at the facility, the pressure was nothing compared to the shower in her apartment. So, with her skin coated in sweat, clothes drenched and hair equivalent to a bird’s nest she began her trek to her house. It wasn’t too far from the agency. But far enough that made her regret not taking her bike.

Rounding the corner, she entered a dark narrow alleyway squeezed between two towering buildings. Her hand drifted to her side as she walked, the lamp lights flickering eerily, the damp smell of petrol and garbage so vile it was hard to breathe. Maybe she was paranoid? At least that's what Bow and Glimmer say all the time. But as the sun disappeared from the sky, the once harmless road became the perfect trap.

The path ahead began to narrow, the scratch of metal bouncing off the walls around her. Three hooded figures emerged from the dumpster in front of her, knife in hand.

“Why hello there little lady,” the guy in the centre hissed, the two moving from his side to surround her. He wasn’t much taller than her, his hoodie clinging to his chest. 

“We don’t wanna hur’ cha,” the guy from behind added, grinning cynically.

“Yeah sure. So that's why you’re pointing those knives at me,” Adora scoffed, the three guys closing in on her.

“Just give us your backpack there and we’ll leave.”

“Not going to happen.”

The man growled in annoyance, the three advancing. Adora gripped her side and grabbed her knife. She dodged the first blow handed to her by the man in front of her. She whacked his fore-arm hard, releasing his knife. The metal clanged on the floor, her body turning to block the second encounter. The man aimed for her shoulder, his hand shaking slightly as Adora dropped to the floor. She swung her legs in a full 360 on the ground, sending the two guys landing flat on their arse. The third guy gulped, gripping his knife tighter as he ran at her. Standing up she flicked her knife, blocking each attack with her arm before scrapping along his side, blood seeping through his shirt. The muscular guy from the beginning got back on his feet, his face boiling red. He charged at full force his hand raised but Adora was ready. She gripped his wrist, flipping him onto his back. 

“Bitch!”

“You’re trying to rob me, asshole!” Adora yelled, kicking the guy running up at her from behind. The guy tried again, Adora groaning in annoyance. With a huff of rage, she used his momentum to pull herself up onto his shoulders, in that same movement, she spun around his body, her legs around his neck as she used her body weight to drag him down to the ground, her hand across his neck.

“Let’s get out of here!” the guy from before yelled out, the wound she had caused drenching his shirt.

Whilst distracted, the guy under her shoved her off, quickly getting to his feet. Along with the buff smartass, the two grabbed their injured friend and ran off, leaving Adora alone in the alleyway.

Adora sighed looking around her. She probably should report this to the agency or maybe the police. Threat and robbing being kinda illegal and all. But with her muscles well and truly overworked, she couldn’t be bothered, picking up the loose knives scattered around her, placing her own back in its holder underneath her pants. She couldn’t remember the last time she had done that last maneuver, throwing herself on top of other and dragging them to the ground. Had it been a year? Maybe two? Muscle memory was a funny thing. As if that fight wasn’t enough, she felt the air still round her, her hairs standing as she sensed another presence.

“Hey Adora,” a voice echoed around her, the familiarity sending shivers down her spine.

“I’m not in the mood Catra,” Adora hissed, the voluminous brunette emerging from the shadows, a smirk on her lips.

“Oh Adora, why the grumpy face? Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“No. No, I’m not.”

Adora grunted as she pushed passed her to create some space, swinging her bag from her back to the ground.

“Oh, the betrayal!” Catra mocked, dramatising as she clenched her shirt near her heart. Adora rolled her eyes, looking around her bag to find the plastic zip locks to place the knives in.

“Don’t make me arrest you.”

“Isn’t that your job? Or have you forgotten already,” Catra teased, moving closer to her as she leaned against the wall. Adora ran her hands through her hair in frustration, discarding the knives for her own.

“It’s too late for this shit,” Adora complained, swung her hand towards her but Catra was already one step ahead, Adora’s aching muscles working against her. Catra blocked her poor attempt of an attack, swinging her around until she had Adora pinned to the wall, the knife falling to the ground. She could feel her breath on her skin, their faces inches apart. Adora yanked her arms, trying to break free but it was no use. Her overworked body was failing and the last thing she needed was an encounter with her. Catra. 

“What do you want?” Adora gritted through her teeth.

“I have a proposition for you.”

“And you had to find me in a dark alley and pin me to the wall to tell me?” Adora half-joked, Catra freezing up.

“I-I didn’t, that's not what I-.”

“Sure,” Adora smirked, Catra instantly letting go.

“I have information on the whereabouts of the drug cartel you and your pathetic agency have been trying to find for years.”

“You know where The Horde is making Grayskull?” Adora questioned with her eyebrow raised.

“I have my sources…”

“And you choose now to go against them? Against Hordak? Why?”

“Maybe I have changed my ways,” Catra spoke in a tone of fake innocence, Adora seeing right through her.

“What do you want?” Adora grunted, taking a step closer, crossing her arms.

Catra started moving around Adora as she spoke.

“I’m putting myself in danger giving you this information. Shadoweaver is not going to like this at all. So, in telling you, I will need assurance of protection.”

“Protection? You’re an assassin! It’s in your job’s nature to be dangerous,” Adora argued, “You can’t expect me to do this all for some doggy intel!”

“Who says it was doggy?”

“Coming from a scrummy assassin like you it’s definite.”

Catra scoffed, kicking the side of the dumpster nearby. 

“Takes one to know one.”

Adora’s throat tightens, raging taking over as she moved her hand to grip around Catra’s neck. The dumpster behind her clanged at the sudden aggression, the metal digging into her head.

“I’m not like you or anyone one from the Horde. Not anymore!”

“Sure,” Catra smirked as her gaze traced down from Adora’s eyes, running along her arm that led to her neck. Adora blinked, taking a step back.

“How can I trust what you say is true, about the drug?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Catra smiled, kicking herself off the dumpster.

Adora grunted in frustration. All her Brightmoon training was telling her not to trust Catra. That she was just manipulating her. But the deeper part of her had a feeling she might be telling the truth yet she doesn’t know why she would give herself in, betraying the very gang that financed her all these years.

“Fine,” Adora finally said, “I’ll take you into Bright Moon tomorrow and you will tell us what you know about Grayskull.”

“No!” Catra snapped. “I am not telling some pathetic agency like Bright Moon all this. This is valuable information to which I can’t trust they won’t use me.”

“But you trust me?”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“I don’t know Catra. I think you should run off before I really have to arrest you,” Adora deflected Catra entirely, reaching to grab her bag before a hand stopped her.

“Adora, you have been trying to solve this since you worked for the Horde. Even as Force Captain you couldn’t gain enough clearance on the drug creation. This is your chance to finally catch Hordak and that stupid bitch out and rid Etheria of whatever that drug is.”

Adora stared blankly, her brain running a hundred miles per hours. Adora connected gazes with Catra, her stomach turning. Her teenself was screaming at her, begging her to say yes. Yet the Captain, Angella’s voice rang at the back of her mind.

_ You can’t trust anyone from the Horde. They lie, they take and they kill. Just look at what you have done. _

“I’ll do it. I’ll work with you.”

Catra smiled as she took a step back.

“Perfect. You’ll be seeing me very soon Adora,” she smirked before disappearing into the shadows, leaving Adora alone again the alley, her decision weighing on her shoulders as she began to go home. 


	2. And They Were Roommates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mondays are a bust. Adora is tired, sore and over her Captain Angella. But after being sent with Glimmer off on a mission they find something very interesting that may help with stopping The Horde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I know I am literally the worst writer ever and I am SO SO SO SORRY but hear me out. With end of year, exams, last season of Voltron and being whisked off on a month holiday I think that's a solid excuse right? 
> 
> In saying that I hope u accept my apology and enjoy this 5k chapter!
> 
> Let me know how I'm going in the comments I like reading and learning from others. Plus it motivates me to keep going!

Adora had never felt so sore in her life, her body aching as she crawled out of the stiff wooden bed, the thin useless blankets discarded at the end. With the events that unfolded the night before she instantly crashed once she arrived home. Her head hitting the pillow effortly. Due to this, the blood stains and sweat that covered her skin amplified the disgusting feeling she already felt, her aching feet guiding her to the bathroom. She was lucky to find a place like this. The beat-up apartment being the only available place within a 5 mile radius of the Bright Moon headquarters. Money wasn’t entirely an issue for Adora. With the work she had done before joining the agency it gave her enough to sustain a good living. But the thought of using it now made her stomach turn. It was blood money and all she wanted to do was leave that life in the past. So the apartment with cracks along the ceilings and faint damp smell of mould hanging in the air seemed good enough to survive on.

Adora stretched as she walked through the archway, revealing a modern day crisis of a bathroom. Patterned tiles covered the walls, the sink and bathroom coloured a baby blue. The only thing decent was the shower, something Adora had to fight with the landlord for to replace the cracked mould-stained baby-blue bath. The next person will thank her for that.

The shower was made of glass with a modern metal head and the pressure… it was to die for. Adora opened the door and turned the knob, the sound of the water splashing onto the tiled grounds bouncing off the walls. It was music to her ears. With that Adora began to undress. 

Stream poured through the cracks of the door, the water burning Adora’s skin as she stepped inside. She always had found it calming whenever she had a shower. Her worries melting away. But even the pitter patter of the water hitting her bare skin couldn’t stop the thoughts of the night before replaying in her mind. Catra was… tricky. She doesn’t even know if she was telling the truth, or why she didn’t just allow her to go talk to the agency. It was their job after all. She had spent all year trying to catch her and bring her in. Arrest her for all the wrong she had cause. A wrong that she herself has faced and overcome. But every step she took Catra always seemed to be three steps ahead and it was excruciating. Last night was… different. She had the chance she knew that but… she couldn’t… ugh! It’s complicated okay?

 

As the water turned cold Adora took that as her cue to get out, wrapping a towel around her before walking back into her room. Mondays were always slow by nature, everyone coming back from a long restful weekend of fun. Not for her. Bow would constantly reprimand both her and Glimmer on their lack of the ability to take a break. She knew Glimmer did it to help her mum and the people of Etheria. She was like that. Kind hearted, selfless and determined. Adora wished she could be like that. For her? It was a whole other motive. The one thing that has been keeping her going from when she first stepped through those doors of the agency was knowing she was one step closer to the demise of Hordak and the fall of the Horde. She craved to see his empire fall, to watch as metal wrapped around his wrist, the police shoving him into the back of their car, whisked away to prison for a lifetime. 

As she slipped on her plain white shirt she heard her phone ping, the screen lighting up on her bedside table. 

 

**_Glimmer 8:02am_ **

_ Where are you?  _

 

Adora sighed, grabbing her phone.

 

**_Adora 8:03am_ **

_ Sorry. Late night. Coming in now. _

 

**_Glimmer 8:03am_ **

_ Hurry, something happened last night with the Horde. Mum wants to debrief us ASAP! _

 

And this is why she hated Mondays. 

 

Quickly grabbing her leather jacket and shoes she ran out the door, slipping her phone in her pocket as she bounded down the stairs. The light blinded her as she left her apartment building, the warm concrete grazing her bare feet as she pushed through the crowd. This wasn’t the first time she had ran barefoot to work and definitely won’t be the last. She didn’t see the point of wasting time putting the damn things on when she can just wait until she was at the agency within the walls of the boardroom for a morning briefing. Though she always got looks from the public whenever she does, their glares a mixture of disgust and concern. This wasn’t exactly her home state.

 

Rounding the corner she could see the agency, police cars all piled up at the front, the flash of red and blue scattering across the glass panels that made up the entrance to her work. In the daylight you can truly see the powerful presence the agency had compared to the buildings around it. It was massive. The agency had multiple levels, with at least 60 above ground, each designed for every purpose and need possible from tech to mechanics to detective work. No matter how many times she entered the building it still made her feel out of place. As though she didn’t belong her at all. Not that that stopped her by any means. Sprinting through the cluster of men and women tailored in suits Adora beelined passed the elevators towards for the fire stairs, slamming the door open as she began to start climbing up each step two by two. Her muscles still ached from the day before, the burn of the lactic acid seething up her legs with each step (more like leap) she took. Once she reached her floor her face was bright red, small sweat patches beginning to form at the bottom of her shirt. 

“Drink?” A voice asked, Bow appearing around the corner, a bottle in hand.

“Thanks,” Adora puffed out.

“Honestly I don’t understand why you don’t take the elevator. You do know those things are work right?” Bow teased as Adora began to gulp the water down, the two moving towards the board room.

“How can you be so sure? They might seem fine but it takes one moment before  _ POOF  _ you’re plummeting down to your doom.”

Bow chuckled as he shook his head. 

“Yeah, totally.”

 

As Adora walked through the door to the board room her jaw dropped. The room was packed. Police officers and the top of the agency swarmed at the front of the room, their heated conversation bouncing off the walls. Adora noticed Glimmer straight away, standing next to her mother with her formal attire ironed to perfection. Her hair was pinned back into a bun as well, shoulders tense that Adora could sense the stress pouring off her. Something big must have really happened last night. 

“Adora! Bow! You’re here!” Glimmer exclaimed as she caught sight of the two, excusing herself from the conversation to meet up with them.

“Hey Glimmer, what the hell is going on?” Adora asked, the number of people in the room making her head spin.

“Apparently there was three overdoses last night down at that club Frightzone. All due to Grayskull. Police have tried to find out who the dealer was but all the evidence led to dead ends.”

“Three overdoses in one night?” Bow gasped. 

“Did they investigate the nightclub owner?” Adora pressed.

“They tried but there was no evidence that could connect them to the drug. Only the people who died.”

“But they have to be the one who were selling!” Adora snapped. “They are owned by the Horde, it’s the only explanation.”

“Try explaining that one to the Judge,” Bow scoffed, Glimmer giving Adora a sadden look.

“It’s just not…”

“Everyone, take your seats.”

The room instantly fell into silence at the sound of Angella’s voice, the police quietly exiting the room as the agent fell into their respective chairs. Adora and the rest of her team sat down close to the front, Glimmer right at her mother’s side followed by her and Bow. As she sat down Adora glimpsed down out her bare feet, quickly slipping her shoes on before Angella could notice. She wasn’t in the mood for another one of her lectures. 

“Thank you all for coming as swiftly as you could,” Angella started “As you may know there was an incident last night linked to the infamous drug Grayskull at the Frightzone night club down on Fifth Street. Witnesses said they saw multiple dealers that night but none could identify nor link them to the Horde.”

Adora’s fingers tapped against the hard wood of the table at her words, her emotions bubbling close to the surface. 

“Here,”continued Angella, pulling out four files, “are the case files of the victims who overdosed.”

Each file was thin, the agents staring blankly at the lack of information as they were passed around. 

“Each squad will look into these cases and bring back any information they have found to my desk this afternoon.”

_ What? _ Adora thought.  _ This was pointless. They know who was behind all this. Why didn’t they just go straight to the club and demand a sweep through the place. It made no sense.  _ Adora wanted to scream. It was stupid, useless and a waste of their time.

“What about the club? They have to be hiding something there,” Adora blurted out before she could stop herself, the agents all staring at her, Glimmer glaring while Bow bowed his head. Angella just stiffened, her gaze fixed on Adora, making her shift in her seat. 

“If you were listening Agent She-Ra there is no evidence that connects them to the drug therefore we cannot infiltrate their property.”

“Fuck evidence!” Adora snapped standing up. “We know it’s them. Just make up something to give us the clearance.”

“We are not going on a useless goose chase with lack of evidence to secure it. You and your team need to investigate the families of the victims and find out as much information from each as possible,” Angella countered, setting Adora on edge.

“They won’t know anything. What we need to do is go straight to the source of the crime.”

“A crime we don’t know they have committed.”

“But we know it’s them,” Adora tried.

The room around them was still, each agent transfixed on the argument brewing between the two. The amount of times Adora has clashed heads with Angella was hard to count, their opinions on how to stop the Horde being like water and oil. 

“They are innocent until proven guilty,” Angella said as if to remind her of the basic law that were the foundations of the court.

“This is just…”

“Adora,” Glimmer grabbed her hand, Adora looking down at her.

“Let it be.”

“Thank you Glimmer,” Angella sighed gently, turning to the rest of the agents.

“Agent Mermista and Sea Hawk you are on case down by the wharf.”

Mermista stood begrudgingly, grumbling to herself as she slapped Sea Hawk’s hand away from the file before taking it herself.

“You can count on us Captain,” Sea Hawk sung, saluting her while Mermista walked to the door, rolling her eyes before the two left the room.

“Perfuma,” Angella announced, a girl with long flowing blond hair standing at her name, file in hand.

“You and Bow will work the Wilsons Case.”

Adora turned to see Glimmer’s face flash red, Bow standing to follow Perfuma out the door.

“But Bow and I always go together,” Glimmer complained, her mother brushing her off.

“Then it is due time for a change then.”

Adora sighed heavily, snatching the file from table before pushing her chair back.

“I’m guessing we have the last case then?” Adora snapped, barely making eye contact with the Captain.

“You guessed correctly.”

Adora nodded, dragging a shocked Glimmer out of the board room. This should be a quick and easy mission. Go in, interview the family, confirm their lack of information and leave, giving Adora enough time to form a plan on getting into the Frightzone to investigate for herself. At least that’s what she hoped. 

 

“I just don’t understand,” Glimmer ranted to her as the two drove down the busy streets of Etheria, Adora gripping the wheel tighter with every red light they got. For a drive that should have taken 15 minutes tops was dragging out to nearly a half an hour, the traffic, lights and Glimmer’s complaining making it seem ten times longer. Adora loves her friend and understands her frustration but with Angella pissing her off in the morning briefing she didn’t have the heart to try and comfort her like she would usually, just letting her rant and complain endlessly to herself.

“Like, mum always pairs us up or lets us go in a three! And why Perfuma? Was she better than me? Prettier?” Glimmer looked over to Adora for consolice.

“I don’t think she was doing it based on looks,” Adora answered as she stops at yet another light, her knuckles growing whiter.

“And did you see how quickly Bow left? Am I not good enough for him? Tall enough?”

Adora scoffed at the ridiculousness of her words, Glimmer giving her a look.

“What?”

“Tall enough? Seriously?” Adora questioned, giving Glimmer a raised eyebrow.

“Well- It could be a reason…”

“It’s sounding like to me that you just don’t wanna work with me?” Adora half joked to lighten the mood, a task usually left to Bow though her joke didn’t come through that way at all. Glimmer’s eyes going wide.

“No, no, no, that’s not what I meant,” Glimmer stuttered, trying to backtrack but Adora just chuckled.

“I know,” she smiled, pressing the gas as the lights turned green.

“She’s just in a ‘I’m high almighty’ mood that’s making us go on a stupid mission for nothing.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Glimmer mumbled, staring out the window as though to gain her own thoughts. Adora sighed, turning right into the next street full of cars, buses and yellow taxis. She had to stop herself from hitting her head against the wheel.

 

The rest of the ride was quiet, the traffic disappearing the further downtown they came. By the time they reached the place it was 11:20 am, tallying up to 50 minutes since they had left HQ.

“This the place?” Adora asked as she stepped out of the car onto the cracked pavement, the buildings that made up downtown area of the city enclosing around them. The location marked in the file had sent them to a beat-up hostel tucked away at the corner of a small alley. Metal stairs clinging to the red brick wall that travelled down the side, men sitting along the railing as smoke floated around them, their glares making Adora grip her knife just that bit tighter.

“That’s what it said on the file,” Glimmer replied her hand hovering close to her holster as they walked past, the group of men eyeing them off as they entered the building.

The lobby if you could even call it that was anything but clean, stains burnt into the carpet, bits of plaster scattered along the top from the crumbling ceiling. There were a wall of metal mail boxes so rusted that it was a surprise people could even open them, the numbers scratched out that you couldn’t tell who was whose. There weren’t any elevators either, the only way to reach the floor was by stairs. What if someone was disabled? They couldn’t possibly climb all those stairs like that. 

“You coming?” Glimmer asked as she hovered at the doorway, pulling Adora away from her wandering thoughts.

“Yeah, coming.”

Adora followed Glimmer as they climbed the stairs, each step they took creating an echo that bounced all around them. She quickly ran through the information Glimmer read out at the beginning of their trip from the file. It said that the closest thing the victim had to family apparently was her roommate that went by the nickname Entrapta. The roommate was 5’4, 19 and in college. She worked at a tech shop on campus and has a criminal record due to hacking into her high school computer system, sending emails to parents to give the students a week off school. Overall she seemed harmless. A few slip ups here and there but who was she to judge. If it weren’t for Bow and Glimmer she would have been locked up behind metal bars a year ago.

They reach the door labelled 17, a faint glow seeping through the cracks around the wooden frame. Glimmer walked towards the door and knocked.

“Entrapta? This is Agent Glimmer and She-Ra. We need to talk to about your roommate Emily.”

Glimmer paused waiting for a response but nothing came. Adora drew her knife as Glimmer knocked again with a little more force.

“Entrapta we know you are in there.” Glimmer tried, no sound of movement whatsoever.

“Entrapta this is Agent She-Ra of BrightMoon. If you don’t open this door we will have to come in by force.” 

Glimmer turned to give her a stern look but the sound of footsteps erupted through the door cracks, shadows dimming the light as a figure moved about, the sound filling the silence of the stairwell. Glimmer gave her a look, her brow furrowed.  _ Do we open it?  _ Glimmer suggested though her posture, Adora lowing herself slightly. Nothing like kicking down a door at 11:35 am in the morning to wake yourself up. Just as she lifted her leg the door swung open revealing their suspect. As the file said she was about 5’4, her vibrant purple hair tied up in two ponytails that added at least a couple inches more. Her face was covered by a welding mask, a long black apron wrapped around her waist to match.

“Hello BrightMoon Agents!” She greeted enthusiastically, her words slightly muffled through the mask. 

“Hi,” Glimmer smiled, “May we come in?”

“Sure just don’t mind the clutter, my cleaning robots are malfunctioning. But don’t worry, I’m repairing them as we speak!”

“Coool,” Adora dragged out as she and Glimmer followed the girl into her apartment. 

 

Entrapta wasn’t wrong about the clutter. The room was a mess. Wires and bits of scrap metal were everywhere with boxes upon boxes of machinery to fill the spaces in between. Honestly she had no idea how Emily could have fit within all this chaos. 

“Mind if we look around before we discuss the matter,” Glimmer more stated than asked, Entrapta nodding heavily before disappearing into the mess. The two glanced at each other before splitting off into different rooms. Glimmer headed off in the same direction as Entrapta while Adora looked at the back. Technology was everywhere. A soft hum being the only sound that hovered around her as she walked towards the closet in front of her. Looking inside there was an array of broken parts and loose bits of equipment Entrapta must have used for her creations. Tucked behind a couple of broken robot parts were cans of paints, blues and reds dripping from the lids.

“Anything?” She heard Glimmer call out.

“Nope,” Adora sighed as she closed the door.

Beside her she walked into the bathroom, the light flickering on and off as it dangled above her. Adora checked all through the cupboards and sink, trying to find any trace of Grayskull. After five or so minutes of searching the only thing she had found was two toothbrushes, toilet paper and a bottle of bleach. 

“Great,” she sighed, shutting the cream coloured cabinet.

“Having some trouble?”

Adora jumped at the sound, her hand knocking off one of the many metal scraps that were scattered about, the sound echoing around the room. She spun herself around to see Catra leaning up against the wall with the window opened at her side, her finger grazing over her long sharp nails.

“Adora? Is everything okay in there?” Glimmer called out, Catra giving her a smirk, clearly enjoying the torture she was placing upon her.

“Um… Yeah I’m fine,” she stammered out, her eyes wide as her hand reached out for the bathroom door, slowly shutting it. Once she heard the click of the door closed she glared at Catra, frustration all over her face.

“Catra what the hell are you doing here?” She spat.

“I did say you would see me soon,” she smirked.

“I thought that would mean when I was home not while I’m working,” Adora whisper shouted as she ran her hand through her hair, Catra taking no notice to her harsh tone as she moved over to the sink.

“I wouldn’t call this working,” Catra scoffed as she checked herself out in the mirror. “More like procrastinating.”

“Can we talk later? I have business to attend to.”

“Oh, you mean investigating one of the overdose victim’s roommate from last night?” Catra raised her brow, turning herself to face Adora.

“Coincidence that it happened the same night you came to me for help?” Adora questioned, taking a step closer. Catra only laughed, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“Oh Adora. You’re so desperate for answers it’s really sad.”

Adora growled. “Did you do it?”

“Of course not!” Catra exclaimed, strutting passed her.

“How can I believe you?”

“Well the time of death for the three victims was around 2:30 am at the Frightzone, the same time I was with you in the alley on the OTHER side of town. So unless I have magically developed teleportation powers I think it's unlikely.”

Adora frowned, drumming her fingers on her leg. Catra had a point even if she didn’t want to admit it. It would be impossible to give those teens the drug and then to travel across the city to meet her. 

“Why are you here anyway?” Adora snapped, trying to distract herself by searching through Entrapa’s stuff again, triple checking if there was anything there at all even though she knew there wasn’t.

“Thought you might need help getting through this petty stuff so we could actually get to the real work.”

“And how would you help exactly?” She asked.

“When you talk to her, the Entrapta girl, ask about the Black Garnet.”

“The Black who?” Adora’s eye went wide at the name, placing the bleach bottle she had in her hand down on the bench, turning to face her.

“Just,” Catra stepped towards the window, “ask.”

“Who are the Black Garnet? Why am I asking?”

“Do you trust me?” Catra raised her brow, resting her hands against the window seal.

“No.”

“Well it’s your choice,” Catra shrugged, stepping up onto the window.

“Tell me who they are! Catra!” Adora stamped her foot slightly, clenching her fist at her side.

“Meet me at the Frost Bar once you’re done mucking around here.”

“CATRA!” Adora yelled out but she was gone, leaving her alone in the bathroom with nothing but a name. 

“What the hell is a black garnet?”

 

Squeezing through the box maze, Adora found her way to the others, a clearer space in the apartment. A lounge sat prominently in the centre facing the TV, an accel standing tall at the corner of the room with a white sheet spread across the ground.  _ This must have been Emily’s space _ Adora concluded to herself, Glimmer giving her a nod as she took a seat next to her on the couch, dust puffing up around them as she sat.

“I’ve never seen BrightMoon agents in person before,” Entrapta stated, her voice muffled by her mask. 

“I thought BrightMoon Agents were taller?” Entrapta asked inquisitively, Glimmer jumping at the robot that sped to her side, a measuring tape stretching out beside her.

“Excuse me?” Glimmer coughed, Adora taking the lead from there.

“Entrapta, we need to discuss with you about your former roommate Emily.”

“Emily. 5’6, long red hair, loves to paint. She had this fascination about art and painting that was a great social experiment. She would spend hours painting over and over again with little break in between. The data collected from that study was incredible!” Entrapta squeezing as she pulled her mask on top her of head, zipping over to the laptop that another robot was holding out to her, her fingers tapping wildly until a sequence of data and files hovered above them in a projection. 

“The sleep calculated from one of her works was truly sensational. Only 7.23 hours in total over the 504.7 hours of work.”

“That is… interesting but not exactly what we want to know,” Glimmer informed, Adora switching between the projections in front of her to the concerned look beginning to form on Glimmer’s face.

“Do you know about Emily taking the drug Grayskull?” Adora tried.

“Grayskull,” Entrapta started, the projection shifting in front of her, an imagine of a powder beginning to form. Adora stared as the statistics began to type out beside the hologramed drug.

“Made from a mixture of the known drug Marijuana and a synthetic drug nicknamed runestone. Symptoms include numbness, nausea, clinginess, compliancy and increase dopamine levels that, especially in men, may lead to arousal.”

Adora saw Glimmer shiver at Entrapta’s words, the reminder of the effects of Grayskull like whiplash. Everyone in BrightMoon new the symptoms of that awful drug like the back of their hand. This still wasn’t close to what they wanted to hear from her and the frustration was beginning to surface.

“We know about the drug,” Adora gritted through her teeth, feeling a hand rest on her thigh.

“Did Emily have any connection with the drug at all?” Glimmer asked, Catra’s words replaying in her mind.

_ Should I ask about the Black Garnet?  _ Adora thought, her hands drumming the side of her leg as she listened to Entrapta’s weird and extravagant explanation on how Emily was a party girl. What if the Black Garnet was nothing? Another dead end made up by Catra to keep her off her trail. But… what if it wasn’t?

“She was great use of another social experiment of mine. Alcohol and its effects on the human brain is a fascinating study, each person reacting in a different way. It‘s truly intriguing.”

“That’s...great,” Glimmer sighed, leaning over towards Adora.

“I don’t think we are going to get anything new or helpful out of her.”

“I might have something,” Adora started, the words at the tip of her tongue, “One more question.”

“Okay,” Glimmer nodded, waiting for her to go.

Was it even going to help? For the year she had worked with BrightMoon and the endless amount of data she had access to she had never heard of the Black Garnet or their association to Grayskull. But with her stomach churning her gut told her she needed to try. What’s the worst that could happen?

“Entrapta?” Adora asked hesitantly, Entrapta’s gaze focussing on her.

“Do you know anything about The Black Garnet?”

Adora waited for a confused look or a raised brow but nothing came, only a calm and steady glance. Everything about her posture stiffened Glimmer grinning slightly. 

_ I think we have something. _

“Entrapta,” Glimmer pressed, her face turning stone cold. It always shocked Adora how seriously scary Glimmer could be when she was on the job and in this moment, she was turning fierce.

“Listen. I-I was just researching…”

“We aren’t going to arrest you for hacking,” Adora stated, assuming that was the train of thought Entrapta was travelling.

“Just tell us what you know.”

Entrapta fiddled with her fingers as she turned to her computer, typing rapidly until the hologram changed to a symbol. 

“Black Garnet,” Entrapta began, “Known drug cartel to the local gang The Horde. Creation and distribution of Ecstasy, Marijuana, Cocaine and Grayskull. Location of operations unknown.”

Adora’s face dropped alongside Glimmer’s, the two staring at a gold mine of data that began to scatter on the projection in front of them. Truck times, delivery dates, sales. Catra was right. This was big.

“I’m not going to get in trouble am I?” Entrapta asked hesitantly as she stepped back away from them both, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.

“No,” Adora sighed, Entrapta’s posture changing instantly, her whole demeanor shifting from worried to excited. Adora smiled softly before glancing towards the symbol that spun around effortlessly, trying her best to engrain it into her memory.

“Can you make a copy of this?” Glimmer asked, her tone firm and unwavering.

“Sure thing,” Entrapta beamed as she raced towards her laptop, the sound of her fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard sent a swell of joy within them both. 

“How did you even come across that name?” Glimmer placed her hand on hers.

Adora shifted.

“Saw it somewhere down at the club,” she lied, her words threaded so carefully that Glimmer didn’t even question it, her face lighting up.

“I think we might actually have a lead!”

“Yeah, all we have to do now is find the location of their base,” Adora faked a smile, allowing Glimmer to swim in their small victory. Adora knew however that it wasn’t theirs to have. It was hard to ignore the twisting feeling in her stomach, knowing that Catra was actually the one to bring her attention to this company. Drug Cartel as Entrapta informed them of. How could they not know about this? For how amazing BrightMoon is said to be, the reality of the agency is slowly beginning to unfold. 

“DONE!” Entrapta exclaimed, the volume of her voice making Glimmer and Adora jump.

“Amazing,” Glimmer smiled, looking at Adora before standing, making her way over next to Entrapta.

“I downloaded the file into the BrightMoon database. You should have all the information about the Black Garnet.”

“Well thank you again for your cooperation. This will be valuable information that will go towards bringing justice to your roommate and others that have been affected,” Glimmer commended her as Adora stood, Entrapta giving the two a huge smile. In those moments she sounded so much like her mother. The mother that showed nothing but strength and discipline. The times where she was a diplomat yet kind. A leader. One day when Glimmer does take over the company, Adora just knew she will be amazing, someone she was willing to follow to the ends of the earth no questions asked. Her leader.

“Thank you,” Adora added after, a small smile perking on her lips.

“No problem. It was good to meet you Glimmer and Adora. It was fascinating to meet real BrightMoon Agents for the first time. I must add details to the information gathered on the company.”

“No problem,” Adora smiled before something clicked, her grin fading as Entrapta’s words caught up on her.

“Wait! How the hell do you know my name!”

Glimmer looked as shocked as she did.

“Um…”

Adora instantly drew her knife as she threw Entrapta against the closest wall. She could hear Entrapta gulp under her hold, eyes full of panic as Adora held the blade close to her neck. 

“TELL ME!”

“Adora. Known formally by colleagues as Agent She-Ra. Worked for BrightMoon for 1.24 years. Formerly known as Force Captain Adora while working at the Horde,” Entrapta rabbled, a cold icy feeling seeping through her. 

“Stop!” Adora yelled as she slammed her knife into the concrete wall. Entrapta jumped at the sound, the hologram fading away.

“You had no authorisation to that information!”

“I’m sorry I just.”

“Just what?” Adora seethed, a hand resting on her shoulder.

“Adora, back down,” Glimmer spoke, her voice calm and steady contrasting the fiery heat that coated hers.

She stared straight into Entrapta’s eyes, seeing the panic look washing over her. She was young, the fear in her eyes pulling Adora back to reality. She wasn’t apart of the Horde anymore. She was an agent not an assassin. She wasn’t them.

Adora closed her eyes and took a deep breath in as she focussed her mind on one thought. She took a step back, freeing Entrapta from her grasp.

“What information do you have on Agent She-Ra?” Glimmer asked calmly leading Entrapta off to the side away from Adora’s vision.

It amazed her how quickly Glimmer took control of the situation, taking the social cues of the situation and protecting each party from their own. Adora was grateful for that. There were reasons why she went by She-Ra within the walls of the agency. The number one being her past. If anyone from the agency knew about her history with the Horde she would be gone, all her hard work thrown away. Loss of rank, loss of respect and basically loss of job. She couldn’t risk it. But for a minor, a stranger to so easily stumble across her history, to know even a sliver of what she use to do made her whole body turn cold. What else did Entrapta know about her?

“I think we’ll be leaving now,” Glimmer pulled her from her thoughts, a hand on her arm as the two moved through the clutter.

“Thank you BrightMoon Agents. Sorry for the… disturbances I have caused,” Entrapta called out, mumbling the last of her sentence mostly to herself.

Adora remained quiet, nodding as they both left the apartment, leaving with the thoughts of her past and the venture that was to come. Next mission. The Frost Bar.


End file.
